Love is a Battlefield
by Adrian Jade
Summary: Promises. They seem like a good idea at the time. She made one promise but she had no idea how it would end up changing her life.


"Auntie." The young boy frowned at the sleeping form. "Auntie wake up. You promised".

"The young girl rolled over and opened one eye at the boy. "I'm not your aunt." She corrected him for the millionth time. "And I did not promise. I said I would think about it."

"Please and tank you." He looked up at her with big hope-filled blue eyes.

"Nico." She sighed as she threw the covers off of herself and stood up. She took the four year old into her arms. "You are going to be the death of me." She kissed the top of his head and set him down on the floor. "Go get dressed and we'll go."

"Yay!" The little boy exclaimed. Running past and almost knocking Tiffany over in the process.

"What's Little Man's deal?" She asked the less than enthused woman whom she lived with.

"Takin the boy to meet one of those WWE guys." She scowled. She was not looking forward to waiting in a huge ass line just to have two seconds with some over-muscled steroid junkie.

"Nico, who you goin to meet?" Tiffany yelled to the boy.

"John Cena … he's the bestest!" The boy yelled back. Nico returned a few moments later clad in jean shorts and a Redsox jersey.

"Auntie I need help with my sneakers." The boy informed the woman having a seat on her bed. She put clean socks on him and put his sneakers on and tied them for him.

"Everleigh, Can I go meet John Cena too?" Tiffany asked. She planned on crashing the twosome not matter what the answer was. She just felt it was better to at least try and be polite.

"Whatever you want." Everleigh replied even more annoyed than she previously was. "Nicolai go get your hat on."

"Ok Auntie." He chirped taking off from the room again.

--

"Auntie I'm hungry" Nico whined as he bounced up and down. "And I am thirsty. I want cinnamon pretzels." They were waiting in a line. Everleigh was getting more and more annoyed by the moment. Who the hell decided that this guy had to come to their mall so she would have to spend her only day off in a month waiting in line?

"Tiff, you want anything?" Everleigh asked.

"Nah, I'm good." The woman declined.

"Stay with Tiff ok." Everleigh commanded the young boy. "If you take off like you did last time I swear I will take your little butt home without meeting this guy."

"You are a meanie." He huffed as he crossed his little arms over his chest.

Everleigh walked away from her makeshift family. She and Nicolai had more in common than she would ever want to admit. Everleigh's parents were killed in a horrific car accident when she was merely eighteen months old. She then went to go live with her aunt. Seventeen years later the same fate would befall upon her aunt. Leaving custody of eighteen month old Nicolai in her hands. Just barely able to vote and she had this huge responsibility thrust upon her. They were both orphans, they only had each other. Well they had Tiffany as well. They also had her mother to lean on when times got tough. Everleigh had known Tiffany since they were in kindergarten. They have been inseparable ever since. She ordered pretzels for Nico and herself and got a Sprite for them to share. Nico thanked her and happily devoured his pretzels. Both women stared at him in wonder. The boy was tall and had a muscular build to him. But he was incredibly thin. The boy, who ate all the wrong things, couldn't have weighed any more than maybe 45 pounds.

"I'm bored." The little boy whined. "I wanna meet John Cena now."

"Tiff watch him for a minute while I run to my car." Tiffany nodded and took hold of Nico's hand. Everleigh returned a few minutes later carrying her guitar case.

"Whatcha doin with that?" Tiff asked.

"Might as well keep myself entertained." Everleigh sat down on the cool tiled floor and pulled out her cherry wood colored acoustic guitar. She strummed a few cords while humming to herself. She closed her eyes and let her fingers work. Pretty soon she began playing a tune. Without thinking she began singing along with her music. "American Soldier" by Toby Keith could be heard by people. They all turned around to look at her. She paid them no mind. She was keeping herself entertained which is all that mattered.

People were coming from all around to look at her now. Some were dropping dollar bills into her open guitar case.

--

"Do I hear music?" John Cena asked out loud from inside the sports store where he happened to be signing autographs.

"Yea some lady is playing a guitar in line." The little boy he was signing for replied. "She's really good huh?"

"Yes she is." John agreed as he began humming along to the song.

--

She then began to play "If You're Reading This" by Tim McGraw. John smiled at the song.

"Excuse me guys I'll be right back." He stood from his seat. His bodyguards stood as well but he gestured for them to sit back down. He stepped out of the store and a it seemed a billion people started screaming.

"Tiffy ... look" Nico pulled on her sleeve. Tiffany looked up from the text message she was sending. John Cena was less than a foot away from them. Staring intently at Everleigh. She was oblivious to the fact that she was being watched. Her eyes were still closed. He walked closer and bent down to stick something in the case. She opened her eyes in time to lock them with his.

"Hi." Was all he could say. He was momentarily stunned by the beauty of her green eyes.

"Am I bothering you sir?" She asked sheepishly. "Got bored waiting for my kid to meet the wrestler guy."

Tiffany slapped her own forehead in frustration of how stupid her best friend was.

"It's no bother at all." He smiled at her. "Please keep playing. The wrestler guy you are referring to likes the way you play."

He walked back inside. Leaving Everleigh confused. "That was weird." She mumbled. Tiffany came over and began pelting her friend in the head.

"What the hell!" The humble musician did her best to duck out of the way of the blows.

"You fool that was him!" Tiffany yelled. "That was John Cena!"

"Oh ..." Was all she would say.

"Keep playing you moron." Tiffany commanded.

Everleigh decided to keep up with her patriotic theme and began playing "Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue". Twenty minutes later one of John's bodyguards emerged from the store and walked over to Everleigh. "Mr. Cena wants to know if you are taking requests." he stated his purpose.

"Tell him I said I will play whatever he wants but my little guy gets a picture and a conversation that lasts more than five seconds." The guard nodded. He returned a minute later.

"He says stay until the autograph session is over and he will take you and your son for pizza."

She looked over at Tiff. "What are you stoned! Say yes stupid!" She was very close to beating her best friend down. "Wait ... I go too."

"Yes but she goes too." Everleigh agreed. The man went back into the store to discuss the deal with his boss for the time being. He returned a few minutes later.

"You've got yourself a deal." She was told.


End file.
